Often, how to respond ethically to some of the more mundane things in life that Puzzle us the most.

A reader we’re calling Pamela recently wrote to comment about how much she loves her local library. The library is located in the center of her town in a big old sprawling building. It’s well stocked and rare that Pamela can’t find what she is looking for.

Her library also has a “library of things” it lends out to cardholders. Games, gardening tools, slide to JPG converters and assorted other stuff are available to lend.

Pamela also noticed recently that the library has a sizable Jigsaw Puzzle collection that falls outside the jurisdiction of other collections.

The library doesn’t ask people to check the jigsaw puzzles out, but simply to take whatever one they want and then to return it when they are finished with it. All they ask is that the borrower fill out a small sheet of paper inside each jigsaw puzzle box that asks if any pieces are missing.

Aside from that, there’s no obligation and no record of any of the puzzles having been borrowed. It's a total honor system when it comes to borrowing, using, and returning.

It took Pamela a few days to find time to get around to the jigsaw puzzle she had borrowed. When she did, she realized it was a more challenging puzzle than she had anticipated, so it was taking her longer to complete it. “A lot of dark green to figure out,” wrote Pamela.

As she neared the puzzle’s completion, it became clear to Pamela that pieces were missing. At first, she thought one piece for certain was missing. By the time she had placed all the pieces in the box, it was clear that three pieces were missing.

“Either I dropped them somehow,” wrote Pamela, “or someone who borrowed the jigsaw puzzle before me hadn’t bothered to fill out the note about missing pieces.

“Should I even return the puzzle?” Pamela asked. “It’s missing pieces and they’re just going to get rid of it anyhow. Or should I just throw it out?”

Pamela is correct that it’s unlikely the library will keep her borrowed puzzle given the missing pieces.

But the agreement when she borrowed the puzzle was to return it when she was through and to fill out the missing-piece questionnaire before she returned the puzzle.

Granted, the library doesn’t know Pamela has the puzzle, since the borrowing was based on an honor system and didn’t go through the usual checkout process. But just because Pamela could toss the puzzle and never get caught or questioned about it does not make reneging on her initial borrowing commitment the right thing to do.

It might take more time to make the return. Ultimately, the library might not care.

Pamela should either call the library to ask whether she needs to return the jigsaw puzzle given its missing pieces or she should simply return the puzzle as she promised to do — not out of fear of getting caught, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Jeffrey L. Seglin, author of "The Simple Art of Business Etiquette: How to Rise to the Top by Playing Nice," is a senior lecturer in public policy, emeritus, at Harvard's Kennedy School. He is also the administrator of www.jeffreyseglin.com, a blog focused on ethical issues.

(c) 2023 JEFFREY L. SEGLIN. Distributed by TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.